Security and convenience in facilitating transactions have become concerns of paramount importance. The use of credit cards by consumers, for example, has been rapidly growing, and those utilizing credit cards have become concerned about security of their confidential data and information contained by the cards. Indeed, instances of so-called “identity theft” have increased along with the increased use of credit cards. Furthermore, numerous credit accounts necessitate the carrying in one's wallet or purse correspondingly numerous conventional plastic, magnetic stripe credit cards, which become bulky and cumbersome as they are accumulated.
In response to these concerns of security and convenience, various systems and methods have been proposed for use with conventional credit cards. Among these has been a “point-of-sale solution for businesses” developed jointly by the telecommunication firms Motorola, Nextel, and Creditel. This particular “solution” is said to utilize a “packet data network”, allegedly making it “fast, easy and affordable for mobile businesses including retailers, taxi drivers and delivery personnel to securely process credit cards directly from the Java™ technology-enabled Motorola . . . handsets for Nextel.” Specifically, the solution utilizes a magnetic stripe reader device that connects to a mobile telephone, together thus comprising a mobile point-of-sale device; when combined with certain encryption and application software, credit card transactions utilizing the solution are said to be fast, efficient, and reduce a likelihood of fraud. However, this solution does not address the basic problem of the carrying and use of myriad, conventional magnetic stripe credit cards by consumers.
In Japan, as an alternative to traditional simple transactions involving hard currency, such as coins, bills, tokens, tickets, and the like, and their attendant inefficiencies and relative lack of security, the telecommunications firm NTT DoCoMo, Inc. has developed a system and method for displaying a two-dimensional code on a mobile telephone. The code, as displayed on a user's mobile telephone, may represent data or information to facilitate a transaction. For example, when a user buys a concert ticket via a website, the user inputs all required personal information to the website. Upon verification of payment for the ticket (usually via an on-line credit account transaction) the user then receives a two-dimensional code on the display of the user's mobile telephone that contains all necessary information for admittance to the performance. The user then displays the on-screen “virtual ticket” to the concert's box office, to gain admission to the performance. As an example of an analogous system and method, a user may pay a utility bill utilizing a two-dimensional code via the user's mobile telephone. In such case, a utility company sends the bill as a two-dimensional code to the user's mobile telephone. The user then can pay the bill at a convenience store by connecting the mobile telephone to a specified point-of-sale register in the store. Also, the Coca-Cola Company may be conducting research and development for use of such a system and method in vending machine transactions. In that system and method, a user would display an on-screen “virtual token” or coupon to a vending machine, representing payment for a vending transaction, whereupon a product selected by the user would then be dispensed by the vending machine in response to its reading and accepting the virtual token. As used throughout this application, the phrase “two-dimensional code” is intended to include a “QR Code” of Denso Wave Incorporated and other conventional data codes; the phrase is intended to further include, alone or in any combination with each other or with the conventional data codes, standard alphanumeric characters of any language.
However the aforedescribed systems and methods have not been satisfactory because, for example, the two-dimensional codes used therein do not inherently provide adequate security. A thief could steal the user's mobile telephone and utilize the displayed symbol to fraudulently complete a transaction; and further, a relatively simple two-dimensional code such as a simple alphanumeric string could be readily copied for unauthorized use. Also, the two-dimensional codes currently utilized are relatively limited in their capacities to hold data.
Therefore, there exists a need for a highly secure two-dimensional matrix code on a mobile communications display which provides increased security and convenience, and which overcomes the drawbacks of the known systems and methods.